Brothers of Light and Darkness
by Falneou17
Summary: Light and darkness… two entities that have been known to not be able to be at the same place at the same time, yet two young boys have defied that one impossibility already. Now, they are about to embark on a whole new quest after having finished an old one; a certain reunion is long overdue, after all. Kouji and Kouichi focused birthday fic for pikaree1!
**First of all: I want to wish pikaree1 a very happy birthday!
** **Second of all: I don't own anything related to Digimon!** **  
** **Third of all: If it isn't obvious, this oneshot is dedicated to pikaree1!  
** **Finally: A special thank you goes to both Roseflare and LightZephyr who helped out big time, despite the (very) short notice! Thank you!**

* * *

It was a warm day when the two teenage boys stepped out of the building, letting their exposed skin feel the gentle breeze that blew in the area as the scent of freshly mown grass lingered in the air. With no clouds in the sky and the sun shining bright above, both boys were thankful for the great weather that day.

"So… Kouichi-niisan…" one of the two boys began, trailing off as he glanced at something in the distance. He wore a blue jacket with yellow stripes on the sleeves over a yellow t-shirt, grey pants that reached just above his ankles and white sneakers with blue stripes. His long, black hair was covered under a blue bandana and what was visible was tied into a low ponytail. Despite his best efforts, the nervousness that the boy felt was blatantly obvious to even the most uninterested of passersby, "Do you think I should get anything… for mom, I mean…"

"Nonsense Kouji!" the other boy responded directly, not taking any time to think of his response as, seemingly without a care of his own, he waved his brother's concerns away. Kouichi, the elder of the two twins, was wearing a red long-sleeved shirt under a green open button-up shirt with short sleeves, white pants, and green sneakers with yellow streaks. As Kouichi started walking down the road, he added, "I'm sure that mom will be happy enough to see you as it is!"

"I guess…" Kouji muttered softly, putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he fell into step with his twin brother. After a few seconds of silence, the younger of the two broke it again, "So… I know you told me a bit about mom back in the Digital World, but can you tell me a bit more about her?"

"Of course," Kouichi replied, falling silent as memories of times long past resurfaced in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he began talking, "You know how it all began… mom raised me as a single mom, not talking much about dad or what happened to him as I grew up. In fact, I don't think she ever mentioned dad at all. She thinks I didn't know, but she was clearly pushing herself just to make sure we could keep going a bit longer."

"Poor mom…" Kouji mused, though soft enough for his twin not to hear him.

"Mom was also often away for work, and even when she got sick she refused to take a day off of work," Kouichi continued, not realizing that his twin had slowed his pace a little. When Kouichi looked up, he realized just how far behind Kouji had fallen, "Kouji? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," Kouji returned with a somewhat forced smile, jogging up a little to catch up with his waiting twin, "Just… thinking a bit…"

"About mom, right?" Kouichi asked, despite knowing the answer to his own question already. As soon as Kouji nodded, confirming the elder of the two's suspicions, Kouichi added, "About what, exactly?"

"It's just that… after everything you and mom have been through! All the hardships! All the pain! All the suffering! And what did dad do?" Kouji let out the stream of questions that had been going through his mind for a while now, not holding anything back, "Nothing! He did absolutely nothing! We should've done something to help you and mom, but—"

"Kouji…" Kouichi interrupted his brother, right hand placed firmly on the younger brother's shoulder as dark blue eyes stared into dark blue eyes. Letting out the breath he didn't knew he was holding, Kouichi, without breaking his gaze, broke the tense silence that had grown between the two, "Nothing that happened to either mom or I is your fault. It is in the past now, so let's look at what we have now and try to make the most of it, alright?"

"Alright…" Kouji finally relented, taking up well over two minutes to accept it.

Kouichi, satisfied with the response that he got, smiled, "Now with that out of the way…"

"Hold on!" this time it was Kouji's turn to interrupt his brother, catching him completely off guard. Closing his eyes for a second as if to mentally make up his mind, Kouji opened them again before explaining why he interrupted his brother, "I'm going to get something for mom after all!"

"You know you—" Kouichi began carefully, but was, once again, interrupted.

"I do know that, niisan…" Kouji sighed. As the two twins stood there, silently on the side of the road, the only sound that could be heard was the sound of the cars passing by and the distant sound of joyful cries of playing children. With a bright smile, the younger twin continued, "But I want to!"

"Your mind's made up, I see…" Kouichi sighed with a smile, knowing perfectly well how stubborn his brother could be once his made was made up. Instead of trying to convince Kouji that he really did not need to, Kouichi took the opposite route, "So… what do you have in mind?"

* * *

"Good morning!" the elder man greeted cheerfully, wiping off the dirt on his hands on his apron. With a bright smile, he turned to the two brothers who just entered the store, neither one of them appearing to know what they wanted, "How may I help you?"

"I'm… meeting my mother today…" Kouji muttered, glancing sideways at the many displays of flowers in the store. "And… I was wondering if you had anything I could give to her."

"I see…" the florist mused, glancing at the store before turning to the younger twin with a smile, "I'm sure we'll be able to get you the perfect thing!"

"Thank you," Kouichi smiled, directing his words to the florist who returned it in kind. Glancing at his brother for a second, Kouichi added, "My brother… hasn't seen our mother for a very long time. He may not admit it, but I'm sure that he wants to make it extra special. Do you have anything you could recommend?"

"I do, but I'm afraid that I have to do some deliveries right now; a whole bunch of white roses for someone's wedding," the florist frowned, remembering the urgent call that he had received prior to the brothers' entrance. Seeing the crestfallen looks on both Kouji's and Kouichi's faces, he quickly tried to cheer them up, "But I'm sure that my apprentice will be able to help you out a bit."

"Thank you," Kouichi smiled, dipping his head as Kouji followed his lead shortly after.

"It's not a problem at all!" the man chuckled before heading for the door in the back. Kouji and Kouichi could still hear the man's voice despite the fact that his head was in the other room, "Aren't you done yet? We have customers right now and I need to go; so until I get back you are responsible for this place, got it?"

"Yeah yeah, sure. How hard can watching over a shop be, anyway?" a distinctly male voice asked, an undertone of irritation evident in his voice. Both brothers, instantly recognizing the owner of the voice, weren't surprised when a boy about their age stepped out of the door, his back turned to them as he was carrying multiple pots in his hands, "So who are those customers anyway?"

"Fancy meeting you here Takuya," Kouji, unable to resist the temptation, called out with a smirk, causing the newcomer to visibly flinch. With the widening of his smirk, it was clear that the younger twin was enjoying his friend's reaction.

"Is that…" Takuya muttered, slowly turning around to face the direction of the voice. As soon as brown eyes locked with dark blue ones, Takuya's face lit up, "Kouji! Kouichi! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to see you two here today!"

"Likewise," Kouichi smiled, glad to see a familiar face earlier than expected, "It also works in our favor as you know why we're here. Any suggestions?"

"Well…" Takuya's brow furrowed slightly as he eyed all the flowers on the stalls before it landed on a display of bright pinkish red flowers. Picking up several specific ones of the selection, Takuya turned to the twins with a full bouquet in hand, "How about these?"

"They're great!" Kouichi smiled, about to seal the deal before realizing something and turned to his younger brother, "But the final call is yours, Kouji. What do you think?"

"I… actually like them as well," Kouji, in a surprising turn of events, smiled as he cradled the bouquet in his arms as if it were a newborn. Wallet already open in his hand, the younger twin turned to his old leader, "So how much does this cost?"

"Don't worry about it," Takuya grinned, gently yet firmly pushing Kouji and Kouichi out of the store, "We're friends, I should at least help this much for you two on this big day!"

"But—" Kouji tried again, visibly struggling to not get bowled over by his friend, only to be interrupted once more.

"Relax Kouji, it's fine!" Takuya reassured the two, especially the younger, having successfully pushed the two out of the store, "That's what friends are for!"

"Alright… thanks Takuya," Kouji muttered, still not fully believing Takuya's kindness as he turned to face said boy. About to walk off with his older brother, something hit Kouji which, in turn, prompted him to call out to the former leader, "And good luck to you with Izumi!"

Right then and there, Kouji's smirk grew even wider as he saw Takuya flinch visibly at the mention of the name. Without giving either of the twins another look, the former leader of their little group closed the door harshly.

"Izumi? What does she have to do with any of this?" Kouichi wondered out loud, looking at Kouji to receive an answer.

"Nothing, really. Just seeing if it would invoke a reaction in that guy," Kouji shrugged off the question nonchalantly, turning around as he started walking towards the brothers' main destination, "Let's go… nii-san."

* * *

"Mom! I'm home!" Kouichi announced his return, opening the door and looking around the house to see any sign of his mother.

The house was dark and damp, no source light, whether from the sun outside or from a lamp, was there to illuminate the room. This was unusual as, normally, Kouichi's mom would be home at this hour. Knowing this, Kouichi's worry grew. Stumbling slightly in the dark, Kouichi finally made it to the light switch and pressed it.

A blinding flash of light followed, so bright and intense that the teen was forced to cover his eyes momentarily. Once the glare of the artificial light dissipated, Kouichi slowly opened his eyes to see the house in the same state that he left it in before his journey. All was there. All but his mother.

"Mom?" Kouichi tried again, the nervousness felt by the teen evident in his voice. As no response was heard, the older twin was quick to wonder where his mother was, "Mom? I'm home!"

"Just a second!" a familiar voice called out from behind one of the doors. As soon as he heard the call, Kouichi let out a soft sigh in relief. Just a few seconds after calling, Kouichi's mother walked out of the kitchen, hands drying off a small towel and a bright smile on her face once her gaze landed on Kouichi. Wearing a pink shirt and a cream skirt, her black hair tied in a low ponytail, she looked a lot more energetic than Kouichi remembered, "Welcome home Kouichi! Shall we start preparing dinner now?"

"Well, before that…" Kouichi trailed off, his eyes turning to look at something in the corner of the room and his right hand nervously tugging the sleeve of his left. Despite knowing _what_ to say, the raven haired teen was stuck at _how_ he was actually going to say it.

"Yes Kouichi?" his mother asked cheerfully, her back originally turned to her son so she didn't notice the uneasy look on his face. Once she didn't receive a reply for a prolonged period of time, however, she turned and saw. Concern instantly driving her, she rushed over to Kouichi, "Kouichi, what's wrong?"

"Well… before we start making dinner…" Kouichi gulped, deciding to just be upfront about the thing at hand. Looking into his mother's eyes was, apparently, enough motivation for the teen. With a quick intake of air, Kouichi continued with a lot more confidence, "There's actually somebody I want you to meet."

"Oh my… my boy is growing up!" Kouichi's mom cheered, bringing her son in a hug, "So where is she?"

"Mom!" Kouichi exclaimed, realizing what his mother was thinking and wanting to quickly clear the misunderstanding for multiple reasons, "It's not what you think."

"Oh?" the words uttered confused the adult, though she was quick to pick up on Kouichi's solemn and serious expression, "So who is it? And, more importantly, where is this person?"

"He… insisted on waiting outside," Kouichi admitted, rubbing the back of his neck shortly before grabbing his mother's wrist and gently but urgently pulled her out of the house, "He should be waiting over there!"

"Now who would come and visit—" Kouichi's mom wondered out loud, brow slightly furrowed as she was lost in her own thoughts, before freezing on the spot as her eyes widened in shock. Kouichi, who had somehow found himself behind his mother, peeked over her shoulder to see why she had stopped so suddenly. Once he realized why, however, he couldn't remove the smile that was forming on his lips.

Under the shade provided to him by the covers of the leaves overhead was a boy in his teen years, eyes closed as the gentle breeze caressed his face. Appearing calm at first glance, it was clear that he was in a mental struggle. Once he heard the footsteps of Kouichi and his mom, Kouji clutched the bouquet of flowers behind back tightly as he faced the two newcomers.

"Kou…ji…?" the elder woman breathed out in disbelief after half a minute of deathly silence. Almost as if she was afraid that he would disappear if she were to move too quickly, she took slow and careful steps towards the boy in front of her.

"Hey mom," Kouji began, clearly nervous and trying to avoid direct eye contact with his mother. A mother he hadn't known for all his life. Understandably, the younger of the twins was uncertain what else to say or do at this time.

"It's really you!" a teary eyed mother was quick to envelop Kouji in a tight hug, the happiness that she felt clearly shown through the smile. Kouji, admittedly caught off guard at first, was quick to return the action and held his mother in his arms as well, "It's really you…"

"Yes…" Kouji managed out, his vision growing blurry as well as he held onto his mother.

The two, mother and son, were in each other's arms for what could very well have been hours, savoring the moment of finally being reunited again. Eventually, it was the mother who let go off the embrace, only to look into the eyes of her son with a look that only mothers could pull off.

"How did you…?" their mother breathed out, a watery smile still clearly visible on her lips.

"It was my brother," Kouji replied, turning to his older twin who watched the two of them from a distance with a smile of his own. Nodding, Kouji elaborated, "He looked for me for weeks until he finally reached me. It… was only a matter of time until I would be coming here to meet you, mom."

"Kouichi…" the eldest of the three managed softly, turning to her older son. Seeing him nod was all it took for her to pull him into the hug that she had been sharing with Kouji, "Why didn't you tell me you were doing something like that?"

"You had enough to worry about with your work, I didn't want to burden you more with this," Kouichi admitted, unable to look straight into his mother's eyes, "But the good news is that we're all together now!"

"It is, thank you," words fell silent after that, the three of them looking between each other with wide smiles on their faces. Eventually, it was the mother who broke the silence, "How about we get dinner ready? We have something to celebrate, after all!"

With a delighted nod of approval from both brothers, the three turned around and walked back inside the house. Once inside, Kouji was quick to place the flowers in a vase that his older brother had carried over to him. Sharing a brief nod between the two, Kouji and Kouichi followed their mother to the table to, for the first time ever, enjoy a dinner all together.

Despite the hard times that they have been through, the fact that they had been separated for years and the pain that they had all been covering with a fake smile, one thing was crystal clear to all three people in the house.

They wouldn't have had it any other way if it meant giving up this moment.

* * *

 **Once again, happy birthday to pikaree1! I hope you liked this, even though, personally, I feel like it could have been a whole lot better… Check out pikaree1 and give them some well deserved love, alright?**


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